Lock for dumping-cages



D. F. LEPLEY.

LOCK FOR DUNIPING CAGES.

APPL'lcATloN FILED 05015, 1919.

Patented Dee, 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

:l v ep-Zelghuemtoi D. F. L'EPLEY.

LOCK FUR DUMPING'CAGES. APPLlcATIoN man Dc.15.1919.

e'lmantox I @Rouwen PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. LEPLEY, OF CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCK FOR DUIVIPINGr-CAGES.

Application filed December 15, l18919.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DANTEL F. LnrLnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Locks for Dumping-Cages, ofwhich the following is a specification.

rhis invention relates to locks for use in connection with dumping cagessuch as used in mine shafts.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a lock of this characterwhich cannot be shifted accidentally, as by an object falling down theelevator shaft, and which can release the dumping cage only when the operating member of the lock is given an upward movement by a meansprovided for that purpose.

A further object is to provide a lock which is positive in action andwhich, when in holding position, is securely fastened against release byjolts or vibrations to which the parts are subjected while the cage isin motion.

Another object is to provide mechanism of this character which issimple, durable and efiicient, and which can be applied readily todumping cages without changing the structure thereof.

ll7ith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood thatvarious changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a dumpingcage having the present improvements applied thereto, the dumping andtripping rails being shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the relative positions of the partswhen the lock is in released position and the cage about to dump.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l designates theupper portion of the frame of a cage and 2 designates the upper portionof the frame upstanding from Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 344,994.

the dumping platform of the cage. On this frame 2 is mounted atransverse shaft 3 carrying wheels t adapted, when the cage ap'-p'roaches the upper portion of the tipple, to enter between curved guiderails Gr and thus cause the platform, with its load, to tilt todelivering position. y

The locking mechanism includes a shaft 5 which is journaled on the framel and is provided, preferably at its center, with a crank arm 6 which isforked and has a roller journaled therein and extending across the fork,as shown at 7. The shaft 5 is provided at one end with another arm 8 towhich is connected a wheel 9 and this wheel is adapted, during themovement of the cage upwardly to dump-l ing position, to enter betweenguide rails R which are so shaped as to swing the arm inwardly over thecage toward a point above the shaft 5.

A bracket 10 is secured upon the frame 1 and journaled thereon is abell-crank 11 one arm of which has a depending locking nose 12 adaptedto extend over and into engagement with the frame 2 while the other armthereof has an arcuate slot 13 through which the roller 7 extends, itbeing understood that this slotted arm extends into the forked arm 6.

The parts are so proportioned that, when the nose 12 is in lockingposition the roller 7 is seated in the upper end of the arcuate slot 13and is held there by the weighty ofthe arm S and wheel 9. When theroller is thus located it is above a straight line extending from thepivot of the bell crank 11 to the center of the shaft 5. Furthermore, asshown in Fig. l, the slot 13 curves downwardly v away from the shaft 5*.Consequently the' lock cannot be accidentally released. Any weightdropped on the wheel 9 or arm 8 will merely tend to press the roller 7more firmly against the upper end of slot 13. Upward pressure upon thenose 12 will not shift the nose because the curved wall of slot 13 willpress against roller 7 along a line passing over the shaft 5 therebybinding the parts together. The only possible way to release the frame 2from the locking nose 12 is by raising the arm 8 a sufficient distanceto cause the roller 7 to travel downwardly in slot 13 and then pushagainst the lower wall of the slot so as to raise the nose. Thismovement will only occur when the wheel comes against the deflectingrails R during the upward move- -ment of the cage and ust prior to thedump ing of the cage by the rails G and wheels 4. The parts will bepositively re'e'ngaged during the downward movement of the cageimmediately after the return of the cage platform to normal position bythe rails G and wheels 4, the rails B operating to force the arm 8downwardly and likewise force the arm 6 and bell crank l1 to normalpositions, as iny Fig. l.

By the use of a lock such as described the danger of premature dumpingof the cage and consequent wreckage of the apparatus or of the shaft orconsequent fatalities, is entirely eliminated.

Vhat is claimed is l. A cage lock including a tiltably mounted lockinglever, a crank arm, a combined weight and tripping arm movable with thecrank arm, and slidably and pivotaly connected cooperating means uponthe crank arm and locking lever for moving the locking lever into andout of holding position during the downward and upward movementrespectively of the tripping arm and for fastening the locking lever inholding position.

2. A cage lock including a tiltably mounted locking lever, a crank arm,a slidable connection between the crank arm and the locking lever, and acombined weight and tripping arm movable with the crank arm for holdingsaid Connection normally in position to hold the locking lever infastening position.

3. A cage lock including a locking lever, a tripping lever, and slidablyand pivotally connected means connecting the levers for forcing thelocking lever to holding position when the tripping lever is swung inone direction, 'for fastening said locking lever in holding position,and for moving the locking lever to released position when the trippinglever is swung in the opposite direction.

4. A cage lock including a locking lever, a tripping lever, and meansconnecting the levers for forcing the locking lever to holding positionwhen the tripping lever is swung downwardly, for securing the lockinglever against movement out of holding position when subjected topressure against the locking end thereof, and for moving the lockinglever to released position when the tripping lever is swung upwardly.

5. A cage lock including a locking lever having an arcuate slot in oneend portion, a tripping lever, a crank arm movable with the trippinglever and slidably mounted in the slot, said crank arm and the slottedportion of the locking lever cooperating to fasten the locking leveragainst movement to released position when subjected to pressure againstits locking end.

6. A cage lock including a locking lever having an arcuate slot in oneend portion and a locking nose at its other end, a tripping lever, meansmovable with the tripping lever for sliding within the slot, saidtripping lever constituting means for holding the sliding means normallyin the upper portion of the slot and the nose of the locking leveragainst upward movement out of engaging position when subjected toupward pressure.

7 A cage lock including a locking lever having an arcuate slot in oneend portion and a locking nose at its other end, a shaft. a trippinglever and a crank extending from and movable with the shaft, means onthe crank for sliding within the slot. said tripping lever beingnormally positioned by gravity to holding the sliding means within theupper portion of the slot and the nose of the locking lever againstupward Inovement when subjected to upward pressure, and means forswinging the tripping lever' upwardly to shift the sliding meansdownwardly within the slot and raise the locking nose out of engagingposition.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL F. LEPLEY.

l/Vitnesses W. H. SoissoN, BARNETT C. BURKHARDT.

